Ironing table



J..J. NAPOLEON Sept. 4, 1951 IRONING TABLE 2 Sheets-Shea?. 1

Filed Aug. 28, 1947 Sept. 4, 1951 J. J. NAPOLEON 2,566,740

IRONING TABLE l Filed Aug. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheel 2 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lIRONING TABLE Jacque J. Napoleon, Chicago Heights, Ill.

Application August 28, 1947, Serial No. 771,109

Claims. l

sion in an ironing table. as aboveset forth, of'

a locking means for holding the links in the toggle means in extended position to lock the leg structure in operative position and for breaking the toggle to permit the legs to be moved to collapsed position.

A iurther object -of the invention is the provision in an ironing table, having a collapsible leg structure and toggle means for holding the leg structure in operative position, of a novel means for holding the toggle in extended position to lock the legs in operative position which is connected to and linearly movable with respect to the top of the table for moving the toggle between extended and collapsed positions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel leg structure for an ironing table having means for locking the legs in extended operative position which may be released to permit movement o f the legs to collapsed position by operation of a single lever conveniently located on the underside of the table.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a novel leg structure and locking means therefor which is inexpensive to manufacture. simple in construction, and easy to operate. but nevertheless rigidly supports the ironing table and which may be folded into compact form in a. common plane on the underside of the table.

These and other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved ironing table of the present invention showing the legs locked in extended operative position;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the ironing table with the legs locked in extended operative position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale showing the position of the locking elements when the legs are secured in operative position:

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the position of the locking elements when the legs are in collapsed position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the legs on the ironing table in partly collapsed position: and

Fig. 'l is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the legs of the ironing table in fully collapsed position. l The ironingtable or the present 'invention cludes a. metal or wood top I Il of generally conventional construction. as shownin Fig. 2. to the underside of which the leg structure is secured. This leg structure includesa pair of laterally spaced rear leg members I2 'which may be made from angle iron stock, as shown,"of suitable size.` or from other rigid stock, and a pair of front` leg members I4 somewhat longer than the rear legs which may be made from round bar stock of suitable size, for example in diameter. The front and rear leg members are pivotally secured at their upper ends to terminal lugs IG depending from sheet metal mounting plates I8 xedly secured to the underside of the top I0 transversely thereof, as by wood screws.

These mounting plates I 8 are longitudinally spaced with respect to the table, the plate for securing the rear legs being located adjacent the rear end of the top while the front legmounting plate is located a short distance to the rear of the transverse center line of the top. When the legs are in operative position, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the rear legs incline backwardly and outwardly and the front legs, which are longer than the rear legs, incline inwardly and also forwardly at a more acute angle to the top than the angle of inclination of the rearlegs, so that their outer ends rest on the oor at a point somewhat to the rear of the forward edge of the table for supporting the forward end against tipping, and for maintaining the table as a whole on a level plane.

A pair of tie rods 2U (Figs. 1 and 2) which -may be made from round bar stock of suitable size, for example 1/4 or 1%" in diameter, are pivotally secured at their lower ends upon a bolt or rivet 22 which also extends freely through the converging lower ends of the front legs-4 Il so that the front legs I4 and tie rods are pivotally secured together. Preferably the lower ends of the front legs and the tie rods are nattened, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide greater areas of contact between these parts and thus prevent wobbling at this connection. The legs are posi- 3 tioned on the outside of the tie rods so that the parts will nest together properly when the leg structure is moved to collapsed position. As shown in Fig. 2, these -tie rods diverge outwardly from their lower ends at substantially the same angle as the front legs. At their upper ends they are pivotally secured by means of rivets or stove bolts 24 to the side anges of the back legs i2 somewhat below the upper ends of these legs, thus tying the front and back legs to each other for movement together, and to prevent spreading of the legs relative to each other so that the entire leg structure is thereby reinforced.

The interconnected leg structure thus formed is also connected to the table top by toggle means including a pair of links 26 pivotally secured at one end to the rivets or stove bolts 24 connecting the tie rods to the rear legs and at their opposite ends by means of rivets or stove bolts 28 to one end of a second pair of links 30 which links in turn have their opposite ends pivotally secured to depending terminal lugs 32 on a mounting plate 34 fxedly secured to the underside of the table top forward of the rear leg mounting plate i 8. At their interconnected ends each of these links 26 and 30 in the toggles is pivotally connected by means of the rivets or bolts 28 to one end of a locking means comprising a pair of locking rods 36 which extend rearwardly therefrom ln' converging relation, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the rivets or bolts 28 form a common pivot for the interconnected ends of the toggle links and the locking rods. These toggle links and locking rods may be made from strap or bar metal stock of suitable dimensions.

The converging rearwardly extending ends of these locking nuts 36 are interconnected in spaced relation by a bolt or rivet 38 which holds them in slidable engagement with the outer sides of a pair of depending flanges 46 on a latch housing 42. The rivet 38 extends through aligned longitudinally extending slots 44 in the anges 46 on the latch housing, and this housing is xedly secured by suitable means to the underside of the table along its longitudinal center line and to the rear of the rear leg mounting plate I8 at a convenient location to be easily accessible to a user of the table.

A manually operated latch 46 is pivotally secured between the depending flanges of the latch housing 42, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and this latch has notched ends 46 adapted to engage the rivet 38 where it extends between the flanges 40 when the rivet is at one end or the other of the slots 44, and thus lock the rivet and, with it, the locking bars against movement. The latch 46 may be provided with a handle 56 for manual manipulation to lock or unlock the locking bars for movement.

Briefly to describe the operation of the improved leg bracing and locking structure, reference will be had irst to Figs. 1 and 3 which show the position of the parts when the legs are locked in operative position. By manipulating the handle 56 the notched end 48 of the latch 46 engaging the rivet 38 is disengaged therefrom from; 1egs and. with them the back legs. to pivot I5 4 forwardly or in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. l. At the same time the toggle is broken and the links 26 and 30 pivot rearwardly upon their common pivot 28 and force the locking rods 35 backwardly until the links 36 and rods 36 lie in aligned extended relation in a common plane on the underside of the table top, as shown in Fig. 6. Further movement of the legs to collapsed position causes the links 26 to pivot downwardly on the pivots 28. When the legs are in the fully collapsed position, shown in Fig. 7, they rest against the underside of the top and the links 26 lie in a common plane with the links 36 and locking rods 36, while the rivet 38 is at the rea-r end of the slots 44. The latch 46 may then be turned to the position indicated in Fig. 4 for locking the rivet 38 at the rear end of the slots. and thus looking the toggles and legs in collapsed position.

Movement of the legs in the reverse direction to upright position should be obvious and, therefore, will not be described in detail.

Since the notched or oiset portion 52 in the lower ends of the tie rods is offset inwardly relative to the front legs, the lever arm provided by these tie rods will be displaced from dead center position when the leg structure is fully collapsed in the same direction that the leg structure must move 1x1-swinging to operative position. This is a distinct advantage because it facilitates movement of the legs to operative position and prevents binding between the tie vrods and legs particularly if a user in attempting wardly'relatve to the top." This frequently occurs and therefore the binding which occurs .when straight tie rods are used is avoided.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I. therefore, desire, by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. In an ironing table, a top, a leg structure movably connected to said top, toggle means extending between said leg structure and top, link means operatively connected adjacent one end to said toggle means, a longitudinally slotted guide membersecured to the underside of said top adjacent one of its ends, means to secure the opposite end of said link means to said guide member for linear movement in said slot between a first position in which said toggle means is held extended for locking said leg structure to operative position and a second position in which said toggle means is fully collapsed and said leg structure. has. been moved to collapsed position. and means for releasably locking the linearly movable end of said means at either of said positions.

2. In an. table, a top, a leg structure movably connected to said top, toggle means extending between said les; Structure and top. link means operatively connected adjacent one end to4 said toggle means. a guide member secured to said top. said guide member having duplicate longitudinallyslotted transversely spaced depending anges, means connected to the opposite end of said link means and extending in slidable relation through the slots in said depending flanges for linear movement between a position at one end of said slots in which said toggle means is held extended and locks said leg structure in operative position and a position at the other end of said slots in which said toggle means is fully collapsed and said leg structure has been moved to collapsed position, and a latch pivoted at an intermediate point for movement in opposite directions to bring the opposite ends thereof between said iianges and into cooperating relation with the opposite ends of said slots for locking the connecting means at opposite ends of the slots and thereby locking said leg structure in operative or collapsed position.A

3. In an ironing table, a top. front and rear leg members movably connected to said top, tie rod means pivotally connected at its forward end to said front leg members. toggle means pivotally connected at its upper end to said top intermediate the place of connection of said front and rear legs, means to connect the rear end of said tie rod means and the lower end of said toggle means to said rear legs at a point below the upper ends thereof. link means operatively connected adjacent one end to the intermediate pivot in said toggle rearwardly therefrom. a .slottedguiden1em ber secured to the-underside .of saidrtoli'fdabent its rear end, means -tojconnect therearend of said link means 'to saidfguidezmemper for linear movement relative to .the jslotbetween-,a position at one end of said slot in which' saidtogglelmeans is held extended-and` f '-1 n bers in operative position.A andal position-atthe other end of said slot at lwhich saidtoggle means is collapsed and` said-leg members' havelbeen moved to collapsed position,` and means releas- -ably to lock said connecting means at either end of said slot.

4. In an ironing table, a topl leg structure including front and rear legs, said legs being pivotally secured to the underside of said top at points spaced longitudinally of each other and inwardly from the opposite ends of said top and at least lsaid rear legs being spaced transversely of the board, tie rods interconnecting the front and rear legs, duplicate toggles pivotally connected at one end to said top intermediate the iront and rear leg pivots and at the other end one to each rear leg, said toggles being movable between extended position at which the leg structure is rigidly held in operative position and a collapsed position to allow the leg structure to be collapsed against the underside oi said board. individual operating links for each of said toggles pivotally connected thereto. said links extending rearwardly from said toggles in converging relation, a longitudinally slotted guide member secured adjacent the rear end of said top upon the longitudinal center line thereof, means connecting the convergingv ends of said links extending through the slot in saidguide member in slidable relation thereto and releasable latch means to lock said connecting means at either end of said slot and thereby lock said leg structure in operative or collapsed position.

5. In an ironing table, a top, rear leg members pivotally connetced to said top, toggle means pivotally connected at opposite ends to saidrear legs and said top for movement between an eX- tended position at which said rear legs are rigidly held in operative position and a collapsed position to allow the rear legs to be collapsed against the underside of said top. .operating link means connected at one end to said toggle means and movable in opposite directions to extend and collapse said toggle means, cooperating means on said table and the opposite end of said operating link means including a releasable latch to lock the operating means against movement in either direction and thereby locksaid rear legs at cpposite positions,jfront leg structure pivotally secured tosaid-t'op. and-tie rods pivotally connected Aclosely adjacent ,the vlower-end of said iront leg structurefandibelow the upper ends of said rear legs, said -tie rods having a portion adJacent their lower ends olset to provide a lever arm oiset from dead-center position relative to said lat -1egawnn-:ne4attersreinru11y-conapsed position in the direction said legs move toward operative position sofas to facilitate movement of the legs toward that position, said oifset portion being disposed for .engagement by the toe of a user when the legs are in operative position to initiate movement of said interconnected leg structure to collapsed position when said latch means is released.

JACQUE J. NAPOLEON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,677,620 Cummings July 17, 1928 1,753,423 Kroschel Apr. 8, 1930 2,198,607 Flagstad Apr. 30, 1940 2,234,144 Johannsen Mar. 4, 1941 

